The exciting festival of Holi can sometimes turn harmful. Celebrating an eco-friendly Holi can make a difference to the celebration. So this year be a little different and opt for natural colours. As we keep discussing the option of celebrating an eco-friendly Holi, it takes us to another question, how do we do it? The first step towards an eco-friendly Holi would be, to start using natural colours. Natural colours can be easily made at home. They turn out to be very economical, have no side-effects and are fun to make! Here are a few ideas on how to create your own natural colours and stay away from harmful chemicals. These natural colours are not only safe but can even benefit your skin and hair. So, get set to be drenched in colours, without any worries. In this articleThe Glow of YellowReady for RedOutput OrangeBest of BrownGo GreenBond with Blue The Glow of Yellow Gram flour (besan) and turmeric (haldi) make a brilliant yellow. Turmeric has antiseptic properties and gram flour is a great cleanser. This colour is so good; you will want to keep getting colour on your face again and again. The compliments for the glow on your face after Holi will definitely be like a topping on the dessert. Besides that, you do not have to move around with a pink face. Ready for Red If you love Gulaal (pink colour), then nothing works better than beetroot boiled in water. Make a concentrated concoction and dilute it with water. Now, fill up the water pistons (pichkaari), balloons and buckets with this liquid. Even if kids happen to gulp it, there is no reason to panic. Red Sandalwood is another great option. Make a paste and add water in it. You can use it as a thick paste or as a red shade liquid. Sandalwood is cooling and great for skin, is a well-known fact. So make the most of it Cranberry (kokam) is an exciting option. You can get naughty and yet play safe. Take a good amount of cranberry and soak it in a bucket of water overnight. In the morning you will have a deep red colour ready. If you splash somebody with this water, the flavour of cranberry will be a big surprise. Output Orange If you want to have a truly refreshing Holi use some saffron (kesar) boiled in water. It will give a bright shiny orange colour. Try using some dried orange peels to give the mix a tangy smell. Dry orange peels in the sun until they are crisp. Now, grind them to make a powder. Add this powder to your saffron mix. You can even use just the dry powder. Add gram flour and turmeric to get an orange hue. Best of Brown Coffee and tea powder give brilliant colours. If you boil a little tea powder it will give a red hue liquid. You can even add some lime to this concoction. Coffee boiled with just water can give a brown shade. But be careful while using this because coffee and tea stains are difficult to remove from clothes. But they pose no harm to skin and hair. Sandal wood is an excellent natural colour ingredient. Add fenugreek (methi) powder and fullers earth (multani mitti) in it. You will have a light brown powder colour. Add water or use it dry. The choice is yours. Your friends and family will love you for using this colour. If you want to make Holi a sweet memory, use some cocoa and milk powder. It will appear brown. Dry or liquid, kids will love it. Although, this option may turn to be expensive, it is best when you want your baby to play Holi. Milk powder may have calcium and proteins. Cocoa is a great moisturiser. Go Green The colour green is inseparable with an eco-friendly Holi. For the colour green, you can simply add together some turmeric and Indigo (neel). You can use it dry or add water. Take some Neem leaves and boil them in water. It will give a fresh green colour. This liquid is absolutely safe. With the great healing properties of Neem, playing with this blend can be very beneficial. Add a little turmeric to get a new shade. You can use dry henna (mehendi) powder available in the market. Adding water to this may give out semi-permanent colour. However it poses no harm. Many people enjoy attacking hair during Holi. Henna can work great at such times. Keep it around for people who are in the habit of getting colour into others hair. Bond with Blue Blue can be simply made with indigo. Though it has no added benefits, it is harmless. Use it dry or mix it in water, you will have the true blue. Now that you know how to create natural colours, celebrating an eco-friendly Holi, will surely be simple and great fun. So, mix, blend, soak and spread the cheer of Holi !
The exciting festival of Holi can sometimes turn harmful. Celebrating an eco-friendly Holi can make a difference to the celebration. So this year be a little different and opt for natural colours. As we keep discussing the option of celebrating an eco-friendly Holi, it takes us to another question, how do we do it? The first step towards an eco-friendly Holi would be, to start using natural colours. Natural colours can be easily made at home. They turn out to be very economical, have no side-effects and are fun to make!
Here are a few ideas on how to create your own natural colours and stay away from harmful chemicals. These natural colours are not only safe but can even benefit your skin and hair. So, get set to be drenched in colours, without any worries.
The Glow of Yellow
Gram flour (
besan) and turmeric (
haldi) make a brilliant yellow. Turmeric has antiseptic properties and gram flour is a great cleanser. This colour is so good; you will want to keep getting colour on your face again and again. The compliments for the glow on your face after Holi will definitely be like a topping on the dessert. Besides that, you do not have to move around with a pink face.
Ready for Red
If you love
Gulaal (pink colour), then nothing works better than beetroot boiled in water. Make a concentrated concoction and dilute it with water. Now, fill up the water pistons (
pichkaari), balloons and buckets with this liquid. Even if kids happen to gulp it, there is no reason to panic.
Red Sandalwood is another great option. Make a paste and add water in it. You can use it as a thick paste or as a red shade liquid. Sandalwood is cooling and great for skin, is a well-known fact. So make the most of it
Cranberry (
kokam) is an exciting option. You can get naughty and yet play safe. Take a good amount of cranberry and soak it in a bucket of water overnight. In the morning you will have a deep red colour ready. If you splash somebody with this water, the flavour of cranberry will be a big surprise.
Output Orange
If you want to have a truly refreshing Holi use some saffron (
kesar) boiled in water. It will give a bright shiny orange colour.
Try using some dried orange peels to give the mix a tangy smell. Dry orange peels in the sun until they are crisp. Now, grind them to make a powder. Add this powder to your saffron mix. You can even use just the dry powder. Add gram flour and turmeric to get an orange hue.
Best of Brown
Coffee and tea powder give brilliant colours. If you boil a little tea powder it will give a red hue liquid. You can even add some lime to this concoction.
Coffee boiled with just water can give a brown shade. But be careful while using this because coffee and tea stains are difficult to remove from clothes. But they pose no harm to skin and hair.
Sandal wood is an excellent natural colour ingredient. Add fenugreek (
methi) powder and fuller's earth (
multani mitti) in it. You will have a light brown powder colour. Add water or use it dry. The choice is yours. Your friends and family will love you for using this colour.
If you want to make
Holi a sweet memory, use some cocoa and milk powder. It will appear brown. Dry or liquid, kids will love it. Although, this option may turn to be expensive, it is best when you want your baby to play Holi. Milk powder may have calcium and proteins. Cocoa is a great moisturiser.
Go Green
The colour green is inseparable with an eco-friendly Holi. For the colour green, you can simply add together some turmeric and Indigo (
neel). You can use it dry or add water.
Take some
Neem leaves and boil them in water. It will give a fresh green colour. This liquid is absolutely safe. With the great healing properties of
Neem, playing with this blend can be very beneficial. Add a little turmeric to get a new shade.
You can use dry henna (
mehendi) powder available in the market. Adding water to this may give out semi-permanent colour. However it poses no harm.
Many people enjoy attacking hair during
Holi. Henna can work great at such times. Keep it around for people who are in the habit of getting colour into others hair.
Bond with Blue
Blue can be simply made with indigo. Though it has no added benefits, it is harmless. Use it dry or mix it in water, you will have the true blue.
Now that you know how to create natural colours, celebrating an eco-friendly
Holi, will surely be simple and great fun. So, mix, blend, soak and spread the cheer of
Holi !
